1. What are End-of-Life upgrades?

End-of-Life upgrades are intended to move instances from unsupported release families to supported and more secure versions. Most customers plan and manage their upgrades well in advance of a family becoming unsupported. However, ServiceNow schedules instances for upgrade if they remain on an unsupported version past a stated deadline.

2. Why are End-of-Life upgrades necessary?

ServiceNow is constantly working to protect customer information and the integrity of our product.

End-of-Life upgrades ensure customers gain access to the latest features as well as the latest security, performance, and availability benefits for their instances. ServiceNow strives to give customers advanced notification of upcoming unsupported release family upgrades so customers can plan ahead, test, and upgrade on their own timeline in advance of the unsupported release family upgrade scheduling.

3. Are End-of-Life upgrades the same as the Patching Program (former QPP)?

In the Patching Program, instances on a supported release family are patched to a target version within that release family. This is independent of the Unsupported release family upgrades and provides scheduling predictability with one full patch version each quarter and two incremental security patches each quarter. The previous Quarterly Patching Program patched instances to a full patch version once per quarter.

4. What is the difference between upgrading and patching?

Upgrading is moving from one release family to another, for example, moving from Geneva to Helsinki.

Patching is moving from one patch level to another within a release family, for example, moving from Helsinki Patch 6 to Helsinki Patch 8.

5. Can a customer stay on an unsupported release family, knowing the risks?

No. Customers must upgrade their instances to supported versions in order to get the latest security, performance, and availability updates.

6. When are upgrades scheduled?

Upgrades are scheduled ninety days prior to the family version becoming unsupported (End-of-Life).

7. Can an upgrade be rescheduled?

Yes, you can reschedule at least one week past your scheduled upgrade date. If you need to reschedule your upgrade date, you can do so by using our Self Scheduling Calendar. Here are details on how to use our Reservation Calendar.

8. What if my testing timeline is different from the date of my scheduled upgrade?

Our hope is that by providing sufficient advanced notice of your upgrade we will enable customers to plan ahead and upgrade their instance before ServiceNow does the upgrade. However, if there are extenuating circumstances, contact ServiceNow through your program record to discuss your testing timeline and impact to your scheduled upgrade.

9. Can I upgrade to a version higher than the target identified?

Yes. You can upgrade to the target version or higher. ServiceNow recommends upgrading to higher families so that your instances can stay on that family for the maximum time before being required to upgrade again.

10. Where can I find information about the latest release?

11. If I am in the middle of an upgrade, how does this affect my usual patching schedule?

Patching on supported versions continues each month as usual. However, if you need to adjust your patching schedule while you are completing an End-of-Life upgrade, contact ServiceNow through your program record.

12. What if the upgrade is scheduled during a change freeze?

ServiceNow communicates End-of-Life upgrade schedules in advance so customers can plan around change freezes, holidays, etc. If there is still an issue with your scheduled upgrade, contact ServiceNow through your program record.

13. Who do I contact for questions and issues related to my upgrade schedule?

ServiceNow communicates End-of-Life upgrade schedules in advance so customers can plan around change freezes, holidays, etc. If there is still an issue with your scheduled upgrade, contact ServiceNow through your program record. The ServiceNow Community is also a forum to ask questions.